| (19) |
 |
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(11) |
EP 1 263 070 A3 |
| (12) |
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| (88) |
Date of publication A3: |
|
08.12.2004 Bulletin 2004/50 |
| (43) |
Date of publication A2: |
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04.12.2002 Bulletin 2002/49 |
| (22) |
Date of filing: 31.05.2002 |
|
| (51) |
International Patent Classification (IPC)7: H01M 8/04 |
|
| (84) |
Designated Contracting States: |
|
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR |
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Designated Extension States: |
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AL LT LV MK RO SI |
| (30) |
Priority: |
31.05.2001 US 871039
|
| (71) |
Applicant: BALLARD POWER SYSTEMS INC. |
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Burnaby, British Columbia V5J 5J9 (CA) |
|
| (72) |
Inventors: |
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- Colbow, Kevin
North Vancouver (CA)
- Manmohan Kaila, Monica
Surrey (CA)
- Zhang, Jiujun
Richmond (CA)
- M-ller, Jens
München (DE)
- Boehm, Gustav
Überlingen (DE)
|
| (74) |
Representative: Beyer, Andreas, Dr. |
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Wuesthoff & Wuesthoff, Patent- und Rechtsanwälte, Schweigerstrasse 2
81541 München
81541 München (DE) |
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| |
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| (54) |
Method of improving the performance of a direct fuel feed fuel cell |
(57) The performance of a direct feed fuel cell such as, for example, a direct methanol
fuel cell, with an anode having a CO-tolerant catalyst, such as a Pt-Ru catalyst,
is improved by periodically reducing the output power of the cell to be less than
the normal minimum output of the cell. This is effected, for example, by switching
the cell at predetermined time intervals to an open circuit or reduced output power
condition.